


gold cage, hostage to my feelings

by NoBloodNoCookie



Category: Legacies (TV 2018)
Genre: F/F, Penelope's intrigued, josie's SUCH a jealous dumbass
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-10-26
Updated: 2019-10-28
Packaged: 2021-01-03 14:00:42
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 2
Words: 2,378
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21180605
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/NoBloodNoCookie/pseuds/NoBloodNoCookie
Summary: A study of Penelope's relationship with Josie's jealousy over the years.





	1. Hope

For some reason, Penelope is the only one who ever notices it. 

The first time she sees it happen, she was new to the Salvatore school and bored out of her mind, perched on a sofa by the fireplace as she absentmindedly flipped through a book. 

To her left, a rowdy bunch of wolves were roughing each other up to see who was the strongest. She wrinkles her nose at the stench of teenage testosterone, annoyed with her mother for the millionth time in the week she’d been at this stupid school for not choosing to send her to Belgium instead. To her right, a couple of younger kids were playing go fish and closer to her sofa, Doctor Saltzman was sitting around a table with his twin daughters who had been her tour guides.

The insufferable one was animatedly narrating a story to her thoroughly entertained father while the quiet one was happy to keep listening, sinking deeper into her chair with a content smile.

Penelope ignores the pang of longing in her chest at the sight of the happy family. She’s glad at least some kids have what she wants and for that very reason, she _ hates _it when Doctor Saltzman gets up abruptly at the sight of Hope Mikaelson standing in the doorway and walks away, leaving his insufferable daughter mid-sentence. He doesn’t bother to look back at the way the twins deflate like they expected this. 

The blonde one rolls her eyes and begins to rant to the cute one. The cute one - Josie and the insufferable one was Lizzie, Penelope recalls belatedly - nods distractedly as her sister continues to vent, eyes still locked on Hope and her father, who appeared to be in the midst of a whispered argument. 

Penelope almost goes back to her book, but something about the angry set of Josie’s jaw - so unlike Lizzie’s obvious annoyance, which was so non-threatening in comparison to Josie’s quiet, more subtle rage - it keeps her watching, fascinated to see where this was headed. 

Hope and the headmaster must have reached an agreement because they begin to stride away with purpose. 

Josie’s fists clench as she her lips thin, eyes flashing dangerously and Penelope can’t help but lean forward in anticipation. Lizzie doesn’t notice the change in her sister’s usually timid demeanor, still lost in her own hurt. 

Josie mouths something and Hope, still talking to Doctor Saltzman, trips suddenly and hits the floor with a nasty crunch. 

Turns out that Hope’s boot had gotten stuck in a small, wooden stool. 

A wooden stool that Penelope was most definitely certain was at least five feet to the left of where it was currently in the middle of the corridor, _ somehow _catching the end of Hope’s boot. 

Josie’s fists slowly loosen, her lips turning up into a satisfied smirk as she gives her full attention to her sister again. 

(Oh, there was definitely _ so much _ more to quiet twin than the kind brown eyes and the sunshine smile everyone couldn't see past.)

Penelope can’t help the loud laugh that escapes her lips and Josie, who was seated closest to her, turns around at the sound. 

Penelope tilts her head in the direction Hope had left, her amusement clear as day and blood rushes to Josie’s cheeks at being caught. 

She doesn’t even know why she does it, but she winks at the girl and Josie blushes even harder and quickly turns back to her sister, nervously fiddling with the sleeves of her cardigan. 

Josie looks back a couple of times to check if Penelope was still looking, getting increasingly flustered each time their eyes meet and Penelope was utterly enchanted by the dichotomy of the Josie who tripped up the tribrid versus the Josie who couldn’t hold her flirtatious gaze for more than three seconds. 

Huh. 

Maybe Salvatore wouldn't be so boring after all. 


	2. Lizzie

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> We're back already! I'm trying to post one scene a day, let's hope it actually works this time.

Once Penelope decides that there was actually something worth doing at the Salvatore school, it doesn’t take her too long to incorporate herself into its ecosystem. 

Her place was at the top of it, obviously. 

The day after she’s filled with an overwhelming urge to get to know Josie Saltzman, she’s already made friends with the most popular kids, received at least six lunch invitations, knew all of the scandals that filled the hallowed halls of the Salvatore school and also rejected about five people who were brave enough to ask her out.

(Not that she wasn't interested in dating, but... maybe just not any of the five people who had asked her. Her situation was slightly complicated, because Penelope kind of only wanted one specific person to ask her.)

All in a day’s work. 

Just as she’d suspected, everything she hears about Josie Saltzman is pretty much one dimensional. 

The nice, quiet twin lost in her dominant sibling’s shadow. 

The headmaster’s perfect daughter. 

(She hears something about Josie being pansexual and files it away for later use.) 

Top of her class, straight A student.

Never steps a toe out of line, always does what was expected of her.

It was a painfully boring description of a girl that most definitely wasn’t. 

Penelope’s surprised that nobody’s been able to see through the good girl facade up until now. Maybe even a little impressed by how well Josie’s got everyone fooled. 

But Josie must realize that Penelope was the exception because she feels her worried eyes tracking her the entire day. 

She would stare at Penelope, grimace like she was gathering up the courage to come up to her, square up her shoulders as if actually was going to do it - Penelope didn’t know why she always felt her own heart rate speed up at this stage - but she always chickened out in the end or someone else would want her attention, disappointing both Penelope and Josie. 

Like right now. 

Josie was sitting alone a couple of tables away from her in the library, not so subtly staring at Penelope who was surrounded by her friends. 

She decides to make it easier for Josie, to see if she would actually say whatever she’s been wanting to all day, even if Penelope had a pretty clear idea of what she wanted to talk about.

Penelope excuses herself from the table, catches Josie’s eye pointedly and walks in deeper into the library. 

She waits for Josie in the most empty reading section in a far corner, leaning up against a book shelf, idly scanning through the book titles. 

Penelope’s not alone for too long. Josie turns up soon enough, wringing her hands and apprehension rolling off of her in waves. 

Penelope doesn’t turn to look at her even though she so badly wants to, choosing to wait Josie out instead. 

Josie walks closer, pauses within an arm's distance and faces the same books Penelope was, gently running her fingers along their spines. 

Penelope tries not to think about how standing so close to Josie had filled her entire body with a nervous, almost electric energy.

She most certainly does not want to unpack how the only things she knew about headmaster’s perfect daughter was that she had a jealous streak and a penchant for humiliation, but that was somehow enough for her to harbor a teeny, tiny crush on said girl. 

(God, she was fucked up.) 

It really was tiny. Her crush on Josie. Almost infinitesimal. 

Just because she couldn’t stop thinking about her since yesterday evening didn’t have to mean it was a real crush or become a thing.

Right? 

_ Right? _

She’s pulled out of her musing when Josie coughs. Then clears her throat. Once. Twice. 

It immediately calms Penelope to know that Josie was just as nervous as she was, maybe more - even if it was for different reasons. 

“So,” Josie begins casually, pulling a book off the rack, “how are you liking it here so far?” 

Instead of laughing at Josie's weak attempt at nonchalance like Penelope wanted to, she asks, “Do you think I look nicer than usual today?” 

Josie drops her book and this time Penelope can’t stop her chuckle when she dives down to pick it up. “Uh, huh? Why- I mean, what-” 

Penelope finally turns to look at Josie, tilting her head and narrowing her eyes. “So you don’t think that then?”

Josie coughs again. “No?”

Penelope raises an eyebrow. Messing with Josie was so much fun. “No?”

Josie groans, terribly embarrassed. “You know what I mean.” 

“Do I?” 

“Fine. You do look good. Great even.” 

Penelope allows herself a satisfied little smile before leaning closer to Josie to whisper, “That’s what I thought you’d say because you couldn’t take your eyes off of me today.” 

Josie sputters unintelligibly for a moment before she puts some space between them and takes a deep breath. “That’s was _not- _it because I wanted to talk to you.”

Penelope gestures for her to elaborate. 

“It’s about what you saw you last night. With Hope.” 

“I didn’t see anything last night that was worth mentioning to anyone else,” Penelope replies simply. “I promise.” 

Josie’s entire face lights up with the way she grins in response. “Really?” 

“Yeah,” Penelope insists before taking on a lighter tone. “I didn’t notice anything, except for the fact that you’re kind of a badass.” 

Josie flushes a cute shade of pink, obviously pleased but she must still feel the need to explain her actions to Penelope because she launches into a speech about the twins’ complicated relationship with Hope. 

Penelope tries to listen to her. 

She really, _ really _does. 

But then Josie pauses to think for a second and she does this thing with her lower lip that smashes Penelope’s concentration into smithereens. 

The _ thing _being Josie lightly licking her lower lip and carefully tugging at it with her front teeth before letting go. There was no way Penelope could focus after that. 

“Are you even listening to me?” Josie asks a few moments later, tilting her head in growing amusement as she notes how distracted Penelope was. 

“Yes? Yes. Yes, I totally was.” 

Josie laughs. “No. No, you weren’t.” 

She subconsciously does the _ thing _again and curse Penelope’s weak will, but she can't help how her eyes stray to Josie’s lower lip again. 

_ “Oh.”_ Josie’s pitch is high, one of surprise and fuck, Penelope’s been caught. 

“Oh. _ Oh,”_ Josie says again, this time sounding delighted before letting out a elated little laugh that was so cute it made Penelope's chest hurt.

“Nice. Cool. Really cool,” she whispers more to herself than to Penelope, sounding like the dweeb she was. “This is very good to know.” 

Penelope pulls at her collar in discomfort, trying to win back any of the power Josie had gained in the last fifteen seconds. 

“You can leave me alone now, Saltzman,” Penelope hisses but Josie doesn’t seem bothered in the slightest at the sudden change in her demeanor. “Don’t worry, your little secret is safe with me. You don’t have to watch me every moment tomorrow worrying if I’ll spill.” 

Josie hums in agreement. “Great. And I will show you my gratitude by not telling anyone about your secret.”

Penelope scowls. “Which is?” 

Josie leans in a little closer, with the same look in her eye as the time she tripped Hope and it sends a thrill down Penelope’s spine. Josie’s lips twitch up a little before they brush the tip of Penelope’s ear. 

“That you actually enjoyed me watching you,” she purrs, before sticking the book she was holding in Penelope’s arms and strutting away. 

Penelope lets out a breath she didn’t know she was holding and heavily leans against the closest rack, knees suddenly weak. 

Okay, so maybe it was most definitely a crush. 

\-- 

In the weeks that follow their library incident - seriously, it still made her head spin just to think about it - Josie sheepishly keeps her distance, giving Penelope the impression that both of them were still taken aback (and slightly turned on, on Penelope’s end if she's being honest) that Josie had done _that._

But Josie still looks for her whenever she walks into a class they had together; gives her a tentative, but brilliant smile every time Penelope entered a room Josie was already in and attempts to hold preciously mundane conversations about the weather and coursework and their classmates, so Penelope was willing to wait. She was willing to wait for Josie to come to her again, whenever she was ready for something more. 

In the meantime, she does what she does best: watches from a distance and learns the things nobody else has bothered to. 

The most interesting (and troubling) thing she comes to infer was the nuances of Josie’s relationship with her sister.

Lizzie Saltzman. 

Penelope’s not entirely sure she likes Lizzie. Thinks that maybe her initial impression of her as the insufferable one was actually spot on. 

Lizzie takes. 

That’s all she seemed to do. 

Lizzie takes and takes all of the things Josie wants so terribly, but doesn’t admit to wanting. Can't admit to wanting for some confounding reason.

Penelope watches Josie do things she doesn’t want to just because her sister does, watches her not do the things she wants to because her sister doesn’t, watches her hide her quiet brilliance behind Lizzie’s loud insecurities and utterly baffled, she waits.

Waits to see if Josie will ever retaliate, ever unleash any of the hellfire Penelope knew she had burning in her soul. 

But nothing ever comes. 

The way Josie prioritizes the needs of those around her - especially her sister or her father - only makes Penelope _ like _her more. Her incredible capacity for love and pure selflessness have Penelope floored. She just didn’t know if Lizzie was worth Josie’s love.

Learning that Lizzie was the exception, the only person Josie would not act out against was unsettling. It bothered Penelope for reasons she didn’t understand and wouldn’t understand until much, much later - when it was much too late. 

She comes to the conclusion that Josie was a wonderful sister and leaves it at that, maybe because Penelope herself didn’t want to see the extent of the problem just yet. 

When Penelope eventually does, however? 

She ends up breaking both of their hearts.

But let's not get too ahead of ourselves.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I saw that lot of you read this story and thank you for the kind words you've left me! Comments usually make my day so anything (LITERALLY ANYTHING - you can leave me an emoji or a 'i like this!') you say has me over the moon. I'd especially love to hear your thoughts about this because this is a new format for me and I'm unsure about how I'm doing with this. Do we still like the way it's being written as much as my other ones? Lmk what you think and thank you SO much for reading. :)

**Author's Note:**

> This is going to be small compilation of drabbles because jealous Josie is just SO interesting to me and she intrigues me so deeply. Comments letting me know exactly what you thought motivate me to write so much faster! You can also scream at me on twitter @dammnvers if you'd like!


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